Online learning expert suggests best practices for promoting academic honesty

Jennifer Pocock — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 17:44:33 +0000

Online learning expert suggests best practices for promoting academic honesty Jennifer Pocock Tue, 08/13/2024 - 13:44

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The growing popularity of easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) interfaces has reignited discussions about cheating in academics. Academic dishonesty, however, is a long-standing concern for faculty and a burgeoning area of research for online coursework. Whether cheating is more or less prevalent in remote coursework has been the topic of debate since online coursework went mainstream in the early 2000s. While online learning provides access to education for nontraditional students and in nontraditional circumstances (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), it’s important to ensure that students are authentically learning the material.

John Cantiello. Photo provided

To understand the prevalence of cheating and help teachers address it, John Cantiello, a professor of the Department of Health Administration and Policy, reviewed the existing literature on the topic. In the Journal of Health Administration Education, Cantiello, who was honored last year as an online teacher of distinction by the Stearns Center of Teaching and Learning, reports that many methods for preventing academic dishonesty are effective.

Not everyone agrees on what constitutes “dishonesty,” he points out. While some forms of cheating are clear-cut—having others do assignments or take tests in the place of the student, plagiarism, or copying answers, others are not. Up for debate are the use of tools like artificial intelligence, or consulting publications that, in a professional setting, would be available to them while solving problems.

“This paper illustrates varying results on the frequency of cheating in online, college-level courses,” Cantiello said. “Tools and strategies for preventing academic dishonesty vary in effectiveness, but some show significant success.”

Cantiello examined many different interventions to prevent online academic dishonesty, including frequent discussions on what constitutes cheating and plagiarism (e.g., can they use AI tools in this course?), technology (e.g., biometric hardware and software such as Turnitin or Examity), and varied testing strategies (e.g., limiting testing times, multiple versions of tests, and leaking fake answers online).

He suggests that a combination of strategies is the best way to limit cheating. “A holistic approach to course design that incorporates these elements and includes a variety of learning activities fosters an effective learning environment where academic integrity can be upheld,” Cantiello said. However, he says, more research is needed on how often and in what capacity cheating happens.

“Preventing Academic Dishonesty in Online Courses: Best Practices to Discourage Cheating” was published online in March 2024 in the Journal of Health Administration Education. Renee Hotchkiss Geschke is co-author on the paper.

Topics

College of Public Health

Artificial Intelligence